2007.12.28
Local handbags set for the airport shop
In October, I checked out the items that are sold at the Hudson News gift shop at the Roanoke Regional Airport, and I reported that it lacked some locally-made offerings from Roanoke companies and retailers.
I heard back recently from an entrepreneur that likely next year will begin selling its locally designed handbags at the airport’s shop. It’s Claire V., a handbag company based in Roanoke. The company's handbags are crafted in Cambodia and Vietnam.
Laura Bradford Godfrey, who owns Claire V., said Hudson Group Retail Specialists, a New Jersey company that operates Hudson News shops in airports nationwide, contacted her after the newspaper article was published about selling her handbags there.
Recently, they worked out a few details about the arrangement, though Godfrey said she does not yet know how much space Claire V. will have inside the Hudson News shop.
This move goes to show how localized the retail business needs to be in order to optimize results.
The grocery industry has been procuring local products, where it makes sense, for years.
Retailers such as Hudson Group (D.B.A. Hudson News in many airports) are in a unique situation of being able to sell touristy products with a local flavor, theme, icon, etc.
It appears to be a good move on the part of Hudson Group. however, procuring local products, or products made for local markets, pose an additional challenge of having t o manage what - in effect- turns out to be additional SKUs in an existing category.
Comment by Robert Amster — December 29, 2007 @ 6:42 pm